The Mad River United Under-13 Elite is a butt-kicking boys soccer squad outta the north county that has put the hurt on teams from all over the Western United States. Just last month they came out tops in their bracket at the 2014 Rogue Memorial Challenge. The year before that they shocked the state at the WESCO Apple Classic Tournament. They regularly dominate all comers.
Here’s how Team Mom/General Manager Carolyn Perkins puts it:
These young men have consistently beaten teams from throughout California, Nevada and Oregon, including large metropolitan teams where there is a much larger pool of children that try out & the coaches have much cooler international accents.
What next?
Europe.
One of the Elite recently spent a year in Spain with his family, where they forged a friendship with a Madrid squad. Many of those madrileños came to Humboldt County over the summer, staying with Elite families, checking out the sights and — of course — getting some prime fútbol time.
Now the invitation has been returned and the Elite are raising money for a trip to Spain in the summer of 2015. They have secured a place in two different international tournaments while there. They’ll be taking on teams from Europe and Africa.
But first they have to scrape together the cash. Team boosters are looking to raise $35,000 to fund the trip, and they’re kicking off those efforts in a big way tomorrow night at HumBrews, where there’ll be a raffle, silent auction, music from The Double J’s and La Patina Band, and — most of all — the chance to meet the Elite.
Can’t go to tomorrow night’s fundraiser? Want to help anyway? Check out the Elite’s RallyMe page, where you can show your support with a donation.
BELOW: Carolyn Perkins talked with KHUM’s Mike Dronkers about the Elite, their travel plans and tomorrow night’s fundraiser.
AND:A video pitch.
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